raisins – Batter Up With Sujata

Lauki Kheer Or Bottle Gourd Pudding

Lauki/dudhi or bottle gourd kheer. Simple and easy recipe but taste is divine. You don’t need much time to make this delicious kheer or pudding if you have grated and boiled bottle gourd ready. Condensed milk gives enough sweetness so you don’t need to add sugar. Don’t skip saffron. It will give a lovely colour and flavour.

You may like some more kheer or pudding recipes on this blog.

1. Kheer komola or orange kheer

2. Rasgulla kheer/paesh or pudding

3. Khajur or nolen gur kheer

4. Chhena kheer or chhanar payesh

5. Rice kheer or pudding

6. Chakhao kheer or black rice pudding

This week 237 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Holi on my platter.

Recipe is very easy. Boil the milk with saffron on simmer until becomes half. Add condensed milk, boiled and squeezed grated bottle gourd, dry fruits and cardamom powder Cook till kheer becomes semi thick. Kheer will become thick when cool. You can add any dry fruits of your choice.

Recipe

Milk – 4 cup

Saffron – a pinch

Bottle gourd or lauki – 1/4 cup, grated, boiled and squeezed

Condensed milk – 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Raisin – 2 tablespoon

Cashew nuts – 2 tablespoon

Method

1. Soak the raisins in water.

2. Chop the cashew nuts into 4 pieces.

3. Drain and squeeze the boiled bottle gourd well. I have measured after squeezing. It should be tightly packed 1/4 cup.

4. Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan. Add saffron. When it starts to rolling boil reduce the heat. Cook on simmer until milk becomes half. Stir in regular interval and scrape the sides of the pan.

5. Add boiled and squeezed bottle gourd and condensed milk. Mix well.

6. Add soaked raisins and chopped cashew nuts. Cook on simmer till kheer becomes thick. Don’t make too dry. Kheer will be more thick when cool.

7. Remove from heat and let it cool down.

8. Garnish with shredded almond and pistachio. Serve warm, chilled or room temperature. Enjoy the heavenly taste.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata
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Olive Chutney With Jaggery And Panch Phoran

Olive chutney with jaggery and panch phoran. Dry roasted and powdered panch phoran will give your chutney a wonderful aroma.
I have bottled sliced olives so I used it. You can also use fresh olives to make this chutney. Just boil the olives before using.

I love the jaggery and panch phoran mixed flavour. But you can also use sugar instead of jaggery. It will be equally delicious with sugar.
Panch phoran consists of fenugreek seeds or methi, Nigella seed or kalaunji, cumin seed or jeera, mustard seed or sarso and fennel seed or sounf.
You can get panch phoran in any super market. But if you can’t get it in the market, mix 1/2 or 1 teaspoon each all the seeds and use from it. I always mix the seeds and store in a airtight container for later use. Usually radhuni is used in panch phoran but radhuni is available in Bengal not in North India. So I have used cumin instead of radhuni.

You may like some more chutney recipes on this blog.

1. Tomato oambal or chutney

2. Ginger chutney or allam pachadi

3. Mango sesame chutney

4. Date raisin jaggery chutney with mango bar

5. Waterchestnut or singhara chutney or dip

6. Onion tomato chutney or dip

7. Mango raisin chutney

8. Peanut chutney or dip

9. Gur aam or instant sweet mango pickle

Monday again and this week’s 231 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Condiments Magic suggested by Renu Agrawal Dongre who blog at Cook With Renu.
Renu has a wonderful blog. You will love her all the mouthwatering recipes. Specially winter special recipes. I will try her Overnight apple cinnamon breakfast rolls soon.

I have tasted fresh olive chutney in Kolkata but that was with sugar. Famous jolpai chutney. Loved it. But we can’t get fresh olives here. I always keep a jar of sliced olives in my refrigerator. No doubt fresh olives taste best. But these bottled sliced olives also taste great. To make chutney we have to boil the fresh olives first. Bottled olives take less time to boil. So make a quick and super yummy chutney with bottled olives. Bottled olives contain salt so add salt carefully after tasting. You need only olives, panch phoran, jaggery, salt and dry roasted and ground panch phoran with raisins, dry red chilli and very little oil to make this chutney. I have used mustard oil, you can use any oil of your choice.

Recipe

Sliced olives – 1/4 cup

Jaggery powder – 2 & 1/2 tablespoon

Raisin – 1 tablespoon

Dry red chilli – 1

Panch phoran – 1/4 teaspoon (mixture of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin, mustard seeds and fennel seeds)

Dry roasted and powdered panch phoran – 1/4 teaspoon

Salt – 1/4 teaspoon or to taste

Mustard oil – 1 teaspoon

Water – 1/2 cup

Lemon juice to taste, optional

Method

1. To make panch phoran mix 1 teaspoon each nigella, cumin, mustard, fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds. You can use 1 tablespoon each seeds and 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds and store for later use.

2. In a pan dry roast little panch phoran. When the panch phoran starts to change it’s colour and becomes aromatic transfer on a plate. Seeds shouldn’t be burn. Grind roasted panch phoran in grinder or mortar pestle when cool and keep aside.

3. Boil the olives till soft and drain the water.

4. Heat oil in a pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon panch phoran and dry red chilli.

5. When the seeds starts to splutter add olives. Saute for 2 minutes.

6. Add jaggery powder, raisins and water. Cook till chutney becomes thick.

7. Taste and add salt if require. Bottled sliced olives contain salt. See notes for more options.

8. Add dry roasted and powdered panch phoran. Mix and remove from heat. You can add few drops of lemon juice at the end.

9. Pour the chutney in a glass bowl. Serve with any meal.

Notes
1. Chutney is sufficient for 2 – 3 people. You can double the ingredients if you want to make more.
2. You can also add red chilli powder to make the chutney spicy.
3. Same amount of sugar can be used instead of jaggery.
4. Fresh olives can also be used to make this chutney. If you are using fresh olives then boil the olives till tender before making chutney.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

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Paruppu Payasam.

Paruppu Payasam.
A vegan pudding or kheer with moong dal or yellow lentil. Coconut milk, roasted moong dal, fried cashew nuts and raisins, jaggery and cardamom made this payasam or kheer divine. This payasam is an Onam special recipe. Usually made for prasad or offering to deities in the temples of South India. It also made for special occasions.
And this pudding is sweetend with jaggery so its a healthy option to satisfy your sweet craving.

According to Wikipedia Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian subcontinent and is bordered by the union territory of Puducherry and the South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Its capital and largest city is Chennai (formerly known as Madras).

The cuisine of Tamil Nadu deserves special mention because of the rich taste of the culinary items. Many items of Tamil Nadu cuisine are accredited internationally and are unique in their own ways.
A typical Tamil Nadu meal consists of steamed rice, lentils, grains and vegetables. This food is taken almost by every household member. But in special occasions there are special menu that are prepared with great care and concern.
To read more about Tamil Nadu cuisine click here.

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you know that I am a member of Facebook group Shhhhh cooking secretly challenge. And every month we share a recipe from different Indian States. This month sharing this recipe from Tamil Nadu cuisine.
Shhhhh Cooking Secretly a group started by Priya of Priya’s Versatile Recipes, is where every month food bloggers are paired up and give each other 2 secret ingredients to cook with according to the theme chosen. If you’re interested in joining this exciting group then please leave a message in the comment section. Thank you.

This month my partner is very talented blogger Archana Gunjikar Potdar who blog at The Mad Scientist Kitchen.
Visit her space for different types of healthy and delicious recipes. Recently she posted a very interesting and mouthwatering recipe of Caramel apple and plum mini pizza.
Archana gave me ghee and cardamom as secret ingredients and I gave her pepper and cumin. Archana made a delicious rice dish with these ingredients. Check out the recipe here.

This moong dal payasam or paruppu payasam is very easy to make and taste heavenly. You can keep it in refrigerator and enjoy chilled. No sugar used so you can say it is a healthy option for dessert.

Recipe

Moong dal or yellow lentil – 1/2 cup

Jaggery – 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon

Ghee – 1&1/2 tablespoon

Cashew nuts – 2 tablespoon

Raisins – 2 tablespoon

Grated fresh coconut – 1/4 cup, optional

Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon

Coconut milk – 1 cup

Water – 2 cup + 1/4 cup

Method

1. Dry roast the moong dal or yellow lentil till aromatic.

2. Wash well and pressure cook with 1 cup water for 4 – 5 whistle or after 1 whistle reduce the heat and cook on simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Let the pressure settle down on it’s own.
Open the pressure cooker and mash the dal with a spoon or spatula. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well.

4. In a pan boil 1/4 cup water and jaggery till the jaggery dissolved completely. Strain the mixture if any impurity and keep aside.

5. Heat ghee or clarified butter in a pan. Fry the cashew nuts in it till light brown. Remove from ghee.

6. In the same ghee add raisins. When the raisins fluff up immediately remove from ghee.

7. In the same pan add the boiled dal, jaggery syrup and 1/2 cup water. Mix well and let it boil. Keep stirring.
When the mixture becomes thick, reduce the heat.

8. Add coconut milk and cook on simmer for 4 – 5 minutes. Don’t increase the heat. Cook on low heat to avoid curdling coconut milk.

9. Keep stirring to avoid sticking at the bottom.

10. Now add cardamom powder and fried cashews and raisins. Mix well and remove from heat.

11. Garnish with fried cashews and raisins.
Serve warm or room temperature or keep in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Notes

1.You can use any milk instead of coconut milk.
2. Dried sliced and fried coconut can be used instead of grated fresh coconut. Or you can use both.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using the hashtag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

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Sakkarai Pongal

Sakkarai pongal.
A delicious dessert from Tamil cuisine.
Pongal is a popular rice dish, originating from Tamil Nadu. In Tamil “pongal” ” means to ” boil over ” or “spill over”.
Sakkarai pongal (literally sweet pongal) is generally prepared in temples as a prasadam, (an offering made to a deity). This type of pongal is also made during Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu.
Ingredients can include rice, coconut and mung bean. Sakarai pongal is traditionally sweetened with jaggery, which gives the pongal a brown colour, though it can be sweetened with white sugar instead.
Source – Wikipedia

This post is going to be a part of a Facebook group Recipe swap challenge initiated by Jolly and Vidya.
We have to recreate a recipe from a fellow blogger’s blog. This month my partner is very talented blogger Priya Iyer who blog at My word through my eyes.
Check out her space for delicious and authentic recipes. I have selected this recipe Classic shakkari pongal from her space.

I love the aroma of ghee fried moong dal. So I have fried the dal. This dessert is not only delicious but aromatic. I am sure you will love the taste and flavour. Jaggery, ghee fried moong dal, cardamom and nutmeg made this dessert super yummy and aromatic. Nutmeg is optional if you don’t like, then you can skip it. If you want to make it vegan then skip milk and use water instead.

Recipe

Rice – 1/4 cup

Moong dal or yellow lentil – 1/4 cup

Jaggery powder – 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 1 – 2 tablespoon

Coconut – 1/4 cup, grated

Water – 2 cup

Cashew – 2 tablespoon, broken

Raisins – 2 tablespoon

Milk – 1 & 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Nutmeg powder – 1/4 teaspoon, optional

Method

1. Rinse and drain the rice and dal separately.

2. Heat ghee in a pan add the cashew nuts. Fry till the cashews becomes light brown. Remove from ghee.

3. Now fry the raisins. When the raisins fluff up immediately remove from ghee.

4. In the same pan add drained moong dal. Fry till the dal starts to change it’s colour.

5. Add the rice and fry with dal for a few seconds.

6. Transfer the fried rice and dal in a pressure cooker. You can also fry the dry fruits, rice and dal in pressure cooker.

7. Add 2 cup water in pressure cooker. Close the lid and cook for 4 whistle or till rice and dal becomes soft.
Let the pressure settle down on it’s own.

8. Open the pressure cooker. Mash the rice and dal with a spatula or ladle.

9. Add milk and let it boil. When it starts to boil, add grated fresh coconut and reduce the heat.

10. Cook on simmer for 10 minutes or till you get your desired consistency. Keep stirring.

11. Don’t make it dry. It will dry up when cool. Keep the consistency like kheer or rice pudding.

12. Add jaggery powder and mix. I like less sweat but if you like your shakkari pongal more sweet then taste and add 1 tablespoon more jaggery powder if require.

13. Add fried cashews, raisins, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Mix well and remove from heat. Nutmeg is optional if you don’t like the flavour, then you can skip it.

14. If it’s become too dry add little more milk or water.
Your shakkari pongal is ready. Serve warm or cold. It will be delicious in both ways.

Notes

1. If you want to make it dairy free, then omit milk and use only water.

2. Colour of this dessert depends on the colour of the jaggery you are using.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

Paneer Gajar Halwa Or Cottage Cheese Carrot Pudding

Gajar halwa or carrot pudding with paneer or cottage cheese.
In winter we make gajar halwa or carrot pudding frequently. For gajar halwa we simmer grated carrot with milk till milk thickened and dried up. At the end ghee, dry fruits, khoya will be added with sugar.
But now here is a gajar halwa with little change. I have added paneer or cottage cheese in the halwa with khoya or dried milk. And taste is much better. Try it for a change. I am sure you will love the taste.
I have already shared Sugar free low calorie gajar halwa or diet gajar halwa.

No its not sugar free. Dry fruits, sugar, cardamom, khoya or dried milk and paneer made this halwa mouthwatering.

Recipe

Carrot – 500 gram

Milk – 5 cup

Sugar – 1/2 cup

Khoya/mawa or dried milk – 1/2 cup, grated or crumbled

Paneer or cottage cheese – 1/2 cup, crumbled

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Cashew nuts – 2 tablespoon, sliced

Raisins – 2 tablespoon

Almond – 2 tablespoon, sliced

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 – 3 tablespoon

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Soaked and peeled almond and pistachio to garnish

Method

1. Peel and rinse the carrot. Cut the both ends.

2. Grate in a food processor or manual grater.

3. Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan or nonstick pan or wok.

4. When milk starts to boil add the grated carrot. Stir well.

5. Cook on simmer and stir constantly to avoid burning at the bottom.

6. When the milk about to dried up add sugar.
Mix and cook on simmer till the milk evaporated.

7. Now add ghee/clarified butter, khoya or dried milk/milk solid, paneer or cottage cheese, cardamom powder, raisins, sliced almond and sliced cashew nuts. I have used homemade khoya and paneer. Get the recipe here.

8. Mix and cook till the mixture dried up completely. Stir constantly.

9. Your halwa is ready. Garnish with pistachio and peeled almond. You can also garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins.

10. Serve warm or in room temperature. Or you can serve it with vanilla ice cream.
You can keep it in refrigerator for 7 – 8 days. Microwave before serving.
Happy cooking.

Notes

1. You can add 1 – 2 tablespoon more ghee if you want.

2. Add any dry fruits of your choice.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Vegan Smoothie Bowl

Vegan smoothie bowl.
A dairy free and gluten free smoothie bowl for breakfast. And also sugar free. So diabetic and weight watchers both can enjoy it.
Easy to make, filling, healthy and delicious. A perfect breakfast option. With all the goodness and taste of banana, oats, almond, raisins, dates and coconut and the crunch of walnut and pomegranate.

I have used banana but you can use strawberry or any fruit of your choice. You don’t need any sweetener because raisins, banana and dates give enough sweetness to your smoothie bowl.
Sending this post to 180 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is #Lowcalorie food.

This week I have suggested the theme. Read my fellow blogger’s posts to get many more low calorie food recipes.

This smoothie is perfectly sweet and delicious but if you like less sweetness in your smoothie then you can reduce the amount raisins and dates. You can dry roast the oats if you want. I didn’t.

Recipe

Oats – 1/4 cup

Banana – 1

Coconut milk – 1/4 cup or as require

Fresh coconut – 2 tablespoon, chopped

Almond – 5

Date – 2, pitted and chopped

Raisins – 2 tablespoon

Walnut, raisins, pomegranate and banana pieces for topping

Method

1. Peel and chop the ripe banana.

2. Soak the almonds in hot water and peel when cool.

3. Soak the raisins in water.

4. Grind the oats. You can dry roast the oats before grinding if you like.

5. In a blender blend ground oats, chopped coconut, chopped dates, peeled almonds, soaked raisins, chopped banana and 1/4 cup coconut milk. Blend into a smooth mixture.

6. Pour the mixture into a bowl. You can add 1/4 cup more coconut milk if you want your smoothie consistency thin.

7. Top with banana slices, raisins, walnut and pomegranate arils.
Enjoy the delicious and healthy smoothie bowl. Stay healthy stay happy

Notes

1. You can use strawberry or any fruit of your choice instead of banana.
2. If you don’t like oats then dry roast the oats before grinding.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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Semolina Cake / Suji Cake / Rawa Cake

Suji/rawa or semolina cake.
A cake with all the ingredients we use on sankranti. Loaded with dry fruits, mawa, til or sesame seeds, coconut and flavoured with cardamom and caramel. In Bengal we use khoya/mawa or dried milk, sesame seeds, coconut and dry fruits to make sankranti delicacies. Usually we make a stuffing for our puli pithe with these ingredients. And we use khajur gur or date palm jaggery in this stuffing. I have very little date palm jaggery in my pantry this time so didn’t use jaggery in the cake but drizzled little jaggery syrup on the cake. And it enhanced the flavour and taste. But if you don’t have date palm jaggery then you can skip it.
I have made it with suji or semolina but you can use any flour of your choice.

In dry fruits I have used 2 heaped tablespoon each chopped cashew, raisins, almond, walnut, tutti fruity, candied cherry, you can use any dry fruits of your choice. Make small pieces and use 3/4 – 1 cup mixed dry fruits. I have used my blender to mix sugar with all the other ingredients. So normal granulated sugar is perfectly fine, no need of powdered sugar.

I have made it two times. First one in round cake pan. Used refined flour or maida with semolina. Sprinkle til/sesame seeds and tutti fruity over the cake. Look at the crumb. Cake taste amazing.

And second time used my bundt pan. Used whole wheat flour or atta instead of refined flour. Sprinkled sesame seeds and tutti fruity in the greased and flour dusted bundt pan and poured the batter over it. You can also make upside down cake in a round cake pan this way.

Last week in our bloghop group we were discussing about festival recipes. Priya Iyer who blog at The World Through My Eyes asked why not cake? So here is super yummy cake for festive season. Thanks Priya for the suggestion.

Sending this post to 179 #Foodiemonday bloghop #foodmagbest theme. This week Seema Doraiswamy Sriram who blog at Mildly Indian suggested the theme.

Do visit her blog for the amazing recipes she shared.

I have decided to skip this week because Seema suggested that post a recipe which we will love to see on food magazine cover. My all the pictures are clicked by phone. The pictures are simple and mostly unedited. And which is my best recipe? Let’s decide it my readers. But my fellow bloggers and bloghop members said don’t skip and don’t think about cover, just post your recipe. Thanks friends. So here is a delicious and festive cake recipe for my readers with the pictures without any editing. Pictures are simple but taste of this cake is awesome. I am sure you will love the taste.

Recipe

Suji or semolina – 1 cup

Flour – 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon

Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon

Khoya/mawa or dried milk – 1/2 cup

Milk – 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon

Oil – 1/2 cup

Baking powder – 1 teaspoon

Baking soda – 1/2 teaspoon

Thick yogurt – 1/4 cup

Granulated sugar – 1 cup

Caramel essence – 1 teaspoon, optional

Desiccated coconut – 1/2 cup

Cashew nuts – 2 tablespoon, chopped

Raisin – 2 tablespoon

Walnut – 2 tablespoon, chopped

Almond – 2 tablespoon, sliced

Tutti fruity – 2 tablespoon

Candied cherry – 2 tablespoon, chopped

Chopped mixed dry fruits – 3/4 – 1 cup

Sesame seeds and tutti fruity to sprinkle

For jaggery syrup

Khajur gur or date palm jaggery – 1/4 cup, grated

Water – 1 tablespoon

Method

1. Grease a cake pan with oil and dust with flour or line with parchment paper.

2. Preheat the oven at 180° for 10 minutes.

3. Chop the raisins into half and mix with all the chopped dry fruits and 1 tablespoon flour.

4. In a blender blend mawa or dried milk, yoghurt, sugar, suji or semolina, milk, cardamom powder, dessicated coconut and oil. You can use your hand blender to blend. I have used soft homemade mawa. Get the mawa or dried milk recipe here.

5. Blend everything well.

Take out the mixture in a large bowl. Add flour and mix well. Make a lump free batter and keep aside for 30 minutes.

6. Now add baking powder and soda. Mix well.
Fold in the dry fruits.

7. If you are using a round cake pan pour the mixture into the pan. Tap the pan gently to remove air bubbles.

8. Sprinkle some sesame seeds or til. But this step is optional, you can skip it if you like.
Sprinkle tutti fruity over it.

9. Or you can make upside down cake. And if you are using bundt pan sprinkle sesame seeds and tutti fruity in greased and flour dusted bundt pan.

10. Pour the batter over it. Tap the pan 3-4 times.

11. Bake in preheated oven at 180° for 35 – 40 minutes or till the toothpick comes out clean.
Let it cool down.

12. In a pan heat date palm jaggery and +1 tablespoon water. Boil till jaggery dissolve completely. Let it cool down.

13. Turn out the cake into a plate.

14. Drizzle with date palm jaggery syrup.
Slice and enjoy the heavenly taste.
Happy baking 😊

Notes

1. Jaggery syrup is optional. Cake also taste great without it.
2. You can use any flour of your choice with suji or semolina. Like whole wheat flour or atta, refined flour or maida or you can also use any gluten free flour.
3. Cake can be made with any flour instead of suji or semolina.
4. Sugar will be mixed with other ingredients in blender so normal granulated sugar can be used.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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Dundee Cake / Eggless Cake

Dundee cake.
My first cake of the year. No not gluten free or dairy free its only egg free.
Mixed taste of almond, lemon, orange, blackberry preserve, cardamom and cinnamon made this cake super yummy and aromatic.

The cake is often made with currants, sultanas and almonds; sometimes, fruit peel may be added to it. The cake originated in nineteenth-century Scotland, and was originally made as a mass-produced cake by the marmalade company called Keiller’s. Keiller’s marmalade company first mass-produced the cake commercially and have been claimed to be the originators of the term “Dundee cake”. However, similar fruit cakes were produced across Scotland. A popular story is that Mary Queen of Scots did not like glace cherries in her cakes, so the cake was first made for her, as a fruit cake that used blanched almonds and not cherries. The top of the cake is typically decorated with concentric circles of almonds. Today, the cakes are often sold in supermarkets throughout the United Kingdom.
The cake was also made and marketed in British India, and in independent India after 1947, by Britannia Industries and its successor firms. However, after 1980 the cake was withdrawn from the market though it continued to be supplied privately as a corporate Christmas gift by the maker. Queen Elizabeth is reported to favour Dundee cake at tea-time.
Source – Wikipedia

I have made it with refined flour or maida but you can use whole wheat flour or atta or any flour of your choice. Or use gluten free flour if you want. If you want to make it vegan then you can use almond milk or coconut milk.
I have used candied cherries, almond and raisins. If you have sultana you can also use it.
Usually we add orange marmalade or apricot jam in this cake. But this time I have got a bottle of English blackberry preserve from Bhuira jam as a gift hamper. So I used it and loved the taste. You can use orange marmalade or apricot jam if you want.

Recipe

Refined flour or maida – 1 & 1/2 cup + 2 teaspoon

Powdered sugar – 3/4 cup

Butter – 2 tablespoon

Oil – 1/2 cup

Almond – 1/4 cup

Candied cherry – 1/4 cup, chopped

Raisins – 1/4 cup

Blackberry jam or preserve – 3 tablespoon

Baking powder – 1 teaspoon

Baking soda – 1/2 teaspoon

Cinnamon powder – 1 teaspoon

Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon

Milk – 1/2 cup

Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon

Orange zest – 1 teaspoon

Lemon zest – 1/4 teaspoon

Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon

Almond – 25, blanched

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 180° for 10 minutes.

2. Grease a round cake pan with oil or butter and dust with little flour.

3. Grind the almonds and keep aside.

4. Mix lemon juice in lukewarm or room temperature milk. It will start to curdle.

5. Mix 2 teaspoon refined flour with chopped candied cherries and raisins to avoid sinking at the bottom. You can also add 1/4 cup sultana if you have.

6. Sieve refined flour or maida, baking powder, soda, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder. Add ground almond in the flour mixture.

7. In a large bowl mix butter, oil and powdered sugar. Whisk well.

8. Add lemon juice mixed milk and whisk again.

9. Add jam or preserve, orange zest, lemon zest and vanilla essence. Mix well.

10. Now add all the dry ingredients gradually. First add half of the flour mixture, mix well and then add remaining flour mixture.

11. Make a lump free batter. Don’t over beat.

12. Fold in raisins and chopped candied cherries.

13. Pour the batter into the greased and flour dusted cake pan. Level the top with a spoon.

14. Tap the cake pan 3 – 4 times to remove air bubbles.

15. Peel the blanched almonds and decorate over the cake.

16. Bake at 170° for 30 – 40 minutes or till the toothpick comes out clean. Check after 30 – 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle it should comes out clean.
Every oven takes different time. Mine takes 45 minutes. Keep an eye after 30 minutes. Don’t over bake.

17. Let the cake completely cool down before slicing.
Happy baking 😊

Notes

1. You can use gluten free flour if you want.
2. For dairy free version use almond milk or coconut milk.
3. You can add sultana or any dry fruits of your choice.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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Eggless Gluten Free Fruit Cake / Dairy Free Cake

Merry Christmas to all my readers in advance. May your Christmas season be filled with joy and light!

Eggless gluten free fruit cake.
Here is a fruit cake for vegan people. Its also gluten free. Made of Soyabean flour and oats and loaded with dry fruits. Dry fruits are not rum soaked. You don’t need to soak the dry fruits for long periods. Just soak in orange juice for overnight. The cake is spiced with star anise, green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Cake is not dense due to Soyabean flour its super soft and moist.

Thanks to Paromita Nath for the spices and orange juice soaked dry fruits idea. Cake taste awesome. Every bite loaded with dry fruits and spices makes the cake aromatic.

I have already shared some more fruit cake recipes on my blog.

Eggless Christmas cake

Diet cake or fruit cake

Sugar free fruit cake with oats

Eggless fruit cake

I have used olive oil in it but you can use butter or any flavourless oil. You can use any flour like APF/maida or whole wheat flour/atta.

Recipe

Soyabean flour – 1 cup + 3 tablespoon

Oats – 1/2 cup

Oil or butter – 1/2 cup

Coconut milk – 1/2 cup ( room temperature)

Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon

Lemon zest – 1/2 teaspoon

Orange zest – 1/2 teaspoon

Orange juice – 3/4 cup

Baking powder – 1 teaspoon

Baking soda – 1/2 teaspoon

Sugar- 1 cup ( powdered)

Sugar- 3 teaspoon

Water – 1/4 cup

Cashew nuts – 1/4 heaped cup, chopped or broken into small pieces

Almond – 1/4 cup chopped or broken into small pieces

Raisins – 1/4 cup, chopped

Tutti fruity – 1/4 cup

Candied cherry – 1/4 cup, chopped

Pistachios – 1/4 cup, chopped

Walnut – 1/4 cup, chopped

Dates – 1/4 cup, chopped

Star anise – 1

Green cardamom – 2

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – a small piece

Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon

Some chopped cherry, sliced almonds, pistachio, cashew nuts and walnut for garnishing

Method

1. Chop the dry fruits into small pieces.
And soak in orange juice for 6 – 8 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat the oven at 180°.

3. Grease a cake pan with oil or butter. Dust with little Soyabean flour and keep aside.

4. Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice with coconut milk and keep aside. Milk should be at room temperature.

5. Take a pan and heat it, spread 3 teaspoon sugar in the center, reduce flame to low. Don’t touch the pan or stir sugar.

6. When all the sugar has completely melted and become brown remove from flame.

7. Add 1/4 cup water and let it boil again. When it starts to boil immediately pour it into the soaked dry fruits. Mix well.

8. Dry roast star anise, cardamom and cloves. Let them cool down.

9. Grind altogether. Add oats and grind again. Make fine powder.

10. Sieve Soyabean flour, baking powder and soda. See notes for more flour options.

11. Drain out the orange juice from soaked dry fruits in a large bowl.

12. Mix 3 tablespoon flour in the dry fruits to avoid sinking at the bottom.

13. Mix lemon juice mixed coconut milk, oil or butter and powdered sugar with drained orange juice from dry fruits. Whisk well.

14. Add vanilla essence, lemon zest and orange zest. Whisk again.

15. Now add star anise, cardamom and cinnamon mixed oats powder mix and add Soyabean flour, baking powder and soda. Milk well.

16. Fold in the dry fruits.

17. If you are using bundit pan spread chopped dry fruits and cherry in bottom and pour the batter over it. Or if using loaf or any other pan first pour the batter in greased and flour dusted pan then spread the dry fruits over it.

18. Tap the pan gently to remove air bubbles.

19. bake in the preheated oven at 170° for 35 – 40 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Insert a toothpick in the middle to check.

20. let the cake cool down completely before slicing. Cake will be super soft and moist so slice carefully.

Notes

1. You can use APF/ maida or whole wheat flour/atta instead of Soyabean flour and oats. Specially if you want your cake dense. Or make a combination of flour of your choice.
2. You can use apricot, figs or any dry fruits you have in your pantry.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
Please visit my facebook page and hit the like button to get the latest update
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Sugar Free Low Calorie Gajar Halwa / Diet Gajar Halwa

Sugar free gajar halwa or diet gajar halwa or low calorie halwa.
Winter means season of gajar ka halwa or carrot pudding. In India gajar ka halwa is a famous and most popular dessert during winter.

Normally gajar ka halwa made with full cream milk, lots of ghee or clarified butter, khoya or dried milk and fry fruits. Grated carrots cooked with full cream milk till dried up. Then cooked again with lots of ghee and khoya. Yes this halwa must be mouthwatering. But what about diabetic and diet conscious people?
So here is a gajar halwa recipe for diet conscious people.

Its made with toned milk and sweetened with dates and raisins. I have added khoya or dried milk in it which is also made of toned milk. Get the homemade khoya recipe here.

I have used only 1/2 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter for flavour. You can omit it or add more ghee for taste. Choice is yours.

Dates are small and sweet fruits and have a surprisingly low glycemic index. Studies have been done to determine the effects of consuming dates on blood sugar levels. They concluded that eating dates does not cause a spike in the blood glucose levels.

In fact, they are extremely healthy – packed with an array of vital nutrients.
Apart from containing a high amount of fructose, they also contain an opulence of fiber and nutrients like vitamins A, K, and B-complex, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. The presence of these nutrients in dates helps prevent constipation, heart diseases, intestinal problems, anemia, and diarrhea, among other conditions
Source

Enjoy this winter delicacy but diabetic patients should eat once in a day. Its necessary to eat a balanced diet and just moderate your intake.
You have to make it in a similar way of normal gajar halwa. Just replace sugar with dates and raisins. And use low fat or toned milk to make it. Believe me taste is too good just like with sugar gajar halwa. And its low calorie. So enjoy this gajar halwa without any guilt.

Recipe

Gajar or carrot – 1/2 kg

Toned milk – 3 cup

Dates – 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoon, finely chopped

Raisins – 3 tablespoon

Dry roasted almonds – 2 tablespoon, sliced

Khoya or dried milk – 1/3 cup

Ghee or clarified butter – 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, optional

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Fried cashews and sliced almonds to garnish

Method

1. Wash, peel and grate the carrots. Clean and soak the raisins in little water.

2. Mix milk, chopped dates and grated carrots in a heavy bottom or nonstick pan or wok.

3. Cook till milk reduces to half. Stir occasionally.

4. Add raisins and cook till the halwa dried up.

5. Now add ghee, khoya or dried milk, and dry roasted and sliced almonds. Get the recipe of khoya here.
You can add 1 – 2 tablespoon or more ghee if you want. I have added only half teaspoon for flavour. Or you can skip ghee of you are on a restricted diet.

6. Fry the mixture well till dried up completely and colour changed. Add cardamom powder and mix well.

7. Garnish with almond slices and fried cashew nuts.

8. Serve hot or cold. Or keep in refrigerator for later. You can refrigerate it for 8 – 10 days.

Happy cooking. Be healthy be happy 😊

Notes

1. You can use full cream milk if you like.

2. Add any dry fruits of your choice.

3. If you don’t have khoya or dried milk, skip it and increase the amount of milk.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
Please visit my facebook page and hit the like button to get the latest update
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